The previous post, entitled “Men can be the Answer”, explored the need for men to become advocates for reproductive health, so it seems appropriate with Mother’s Day approaching to discuss the impact women can make for maternal health.

Save the Children’s recently released State of the World’s Mothers 2010 index measures the survival rate of mother and child in 160 countries, furthermore it shows the many ways women working on the frontlines of health care are saving lives.

Every year the world’s mothers loose 9 million babies and children before reaching the age of five. Nearly 350,000 women die due to pregnancy or childbirth complications.

A woman living in the developing world is more likely to give birth at home without medical attention and must be given permission by a male or elder decision maker to seek care or treatment or to even leave the home. Save the Children found that having health care providers who were women increased the likelihood that a woman might access care. It is estimated having a skilled birth attendant would save 74 percent of women’s lives.

The hope is to have women health workers to come from and live in the community where they work. There are critically too few female health workers, especially in rural areas.

This is a difficult position to fill because of the state of girls’ education. According to the report, 39 million girls have never attended school while millions more complete only a year or two of education. An equally distressing hardship being faced is the perceived widespread violence and sexual harassment of female health workers.

The clear solution is investing in education for girls. Successful programs around the globe are showing how women health workers can make a big impact with only a few years of education, yet across the board schooling for girls will empower future mothers. Studies show, more education leads to smaller, healthier families.

A good example is in India, where not health care providers but respected, knowledgeable women of the community organized monthly women’s meeting to discuss pregnancy and child care issues. Within three years the newborn mortality rate dropped dramatically and healthy practices increased.

See why Norway was ranked first, the United States came in at 28 and Afghanistan was last by reading the report.